Cloud, the latest film by legendary writer and director Kiyoshi Kurosawa (Cure, Pulse), made its US debut at Fantastic Fest 2024. The film tells the story of Yoshii, a man who makes his living reselling items on the internet for a profit. After deciding to make a big life change, increasingly strange things start to happen around him, threatening both his business and his life.

Fans of Kurosawa’s work will likely be surprised by the somewhat lighter tone of Cloud compared to his previous work. There is still a slow burn, building the tension and sense of paranoia until the climactic end. However, this time Kurosawa seems to have had a bit more fun with the script. There are plenty of times when the story and dialogue goes to a darkly comical place, even when Yoshii is in the face of danger. It’s a cheekiness that makes Cloud more of a fun watch, which likely isn’t a word audiences are used to using for Kurosawa’s films.

The film takes time to allow the audience to get to know Yoshii and the people in his life. He’s not necessarily a good guy, given that some of what he resells are fake goods, but there is something a bit charming about his dedication and work ethic. The audience will likely notice some of the strange occurrences that happen around this character before he does. It’s the kind of slow burn, filled with character development and subtle suspense, that might be a bit too slow for some viewers. The pacing definitely approaches the line of being too slow and taking too long to get into the nitty-gritty, but once the climax kicks in there is plenty of action to entertain. At the same time, Cloud highlights some important themes, especially in today’s world where most business is done from the comfort of a keyboard. Yoshii doesn’t notice or care about the damage he does to others because he does it from the safety of his home behind a computer. When that damage catches up to him, that’s when he must face the consequences of the hurt he’s caused in violent, and even deadly ways.

With how understated the plot is, Cloud relies on the excellent cast to bring the film to life. Masaki Suda (The Boy and the Heron, Cube) plays Yoshii. What makes Suda’s performance great is how single-minded he makes Yoshii. This is a character who is entirely focused on his business, forgoing a promotion at his day job, and even quitting, so he can sell online full-time. He comes across almost as a gambling addict, watching the items he lists online obsessively to see how quickly they sell, if they sell at all. This also leads to some humorous moments from Suda as he makes it clear everything else in Yoshii’s life takes a backseat, even his live-in girlfriend. Daiken Okudaira (Village, Insomniacs After School) plays Sano, an assistant Yoshii hires after the move to help maintain his business. Okudaira balances being very resourceful and helpful to Yoshii while also giving Sano a somewhat ominous edge, which audiences won’t be able to fully put their finger on until the climax. Other great performances come from Kotone Furukawa (Pending Train), Yoshiyoshi Arakawa (Tiger & Dragon), and Masataka Kubota (13 Assassins).

One thing Kurosawa is consistently great at is creating atmosphere, and Cloud is no different. The film has a fairly muted color palette, aside from some of the items Yoshii sells and one or two wardrobe choices for other characters, and the sets play a large part of telling the story. When the audience first meets Yoshii, he lives in a tiny apartment that is mostly filled with the items he sells online. After he decides to make this his full time job, Yoshii moves to a larger house outside the city. However, this house further shows the character’s focus on business. The house is all concrete, glass, and metal. A majority of the space is used to store items to sell, along with other necessities for running an online store. Even the kitchen looks more like something one would expect in a warehouse, rather than a home. These sets add to Yoshii’s character and to his state of mind. Cloud also features some great cinematography, incorporating haunting, unsettling imagery to build upon the thrills and chills.

Cloud thrusts a morally grey character into increasingly tense situations, leading to a slow-burn thriller punctuated by darkly comedic moments. It might not be Kurosawa’s most impactful work in his filmography, but it’s certainly his most playful, while still leaning into the thriller style. Suda and Okudaira’s performances are a definitive highlight, as well as the ways in which the sets add both to the the character development and to the plot as a whole. If you’re looking for a thriller that will make you laugh, often at the most awkward times, then Cloud is definitely for you.

OVERALL RATING: 7/10